UEFA Champions League Picks Today: UCL Predictions for September 8

Porto and Manchester City have started their domestic competitions in dominating fashion and will be looking to translate that excellent form to the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Portuguese champions have played five games in the local league and won them all, by a combined goal different of 11-1. Porto’s defense is excellent and they have enough quality on the other end. They haven’t face a team like Manchester City obviously, but the English side can be inconsistent.

Despite winning all three Premier League games so far, City have been far from convincing. Beating Bournemouth and Coventry at home, as well as Crystal Palace away, is to be expected by this team.

Furthermore, City had scary moments in all three games. Luck and individual brilliance were the main reasons they won, as the team is in a rebuild with plenty of new faces in the squad and a new manager after a long Pep Guardiola reign.

It will take time until Enzo Maresca’s City clicks properly, so I expect some struggles in the immediate future. The game against Porto falls into that category, as the English team will face a strong defensive unit with plenty of momentum.

Add the fanatic home support, and that gives me enough reasons to back Porto not to lose this one at +118.

Real Madrid will host Inter in Tuesday’s Champions League blockbuster. The bookies expect a win for the Spanish side and lots of goals, as the totals line is set at 3.5 goals. I’m not quite sure I agree with this one, though.

The biggest argument for such a high main line is the firepower available to both teams. They obviously have world-class talent and can score goals, so no objections there. The results also confirm this, as both teams have scored eight goals in three games since the start of the season.

At the same time, this is a completely different game. It’s a Champions League opener against a much stronger team than what both sides have faced so far. The pressure will be on and both teams will be working hard to avoid a poor start.

The focus will be on limiting mistakes and closing space for the opposition, so I can see a quiet start in this match. Sure, the attacking talent on the pitch will inevitably lead to some chances and goals, but going over the 3.5 line won’t be as easy as the odds suggest.

That’s why betting on the under 3.5 goals in the Real Madrid vs. Inter clash is one of the best Champions League picks today.